Presser foot attachment for sewing machines



Aug. 27, 1957 J. CONNORS 2,804,037

PRESSER FOOT ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MML'HINES Filed Aug. 4, 1955ATTORNEYS United States Patent PRESSER FOOT ATTACHMENT FOR SEWINGMACHINES John Connors, Orange, Conn., assignor to The GreistManufacturing Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of ConnecticutApplication August 4, 1955, Serial No. 526,382

Claims. (Cl. 112-235) This invention relates to sewing machineattachments and more particularly to a presser foot for the ordinaryhousehold sewing machine which is adapted to do special kinds of work.

In the stitching of some materials together, it is desirable to make theline of stitching close to the edge of a raised portion or otherobstruction which the presser foot cannot straddle, and hence the lineof sewing should be close to the edge of the presser foot. An example ofthis is the stitching of a zipper element to a piece of fabric. Themetal elements of the zipper are relatively thick compared to the clothand cannot conveniently be straddled by the presser foot, while at thesame time it is desirable to have the line of stitching as close to themetal locking elements of the zipper as is possible.

The usual presser foot is, therefore, not adapted to such use a in theusual presser foot the needle opening or slot is provided intermediatethe side edges of the foot so that the latter straddles the line ofstitching. Therefore, if it is attempted to use the usual presser footand place the line of stitching close to the metal elements of thezipper, one portion of the presser foot would have to ride over themetal elements and satisfactory work could not be accomplished.

For this reason it is desirable to provide a special form of presserfoot for this type of Work wherein recesses or notches are provided atthe side edges of the foot through which the needle may pass. As theline of operation of the needle is thus close to the edge of the foot,the line of stitching will also be close to this edge, and as the edgeof the presser foot may be made to abut the metal elements of thezipper, the line of stitching can be effected at a position close to thelatter.

It is also desirable in this type of stitching for the presser foot tobe pivoted to the shank or frame member upon which it is carried, and itis contemplated by the present invention to provide a presser footattachment having a shank member which may be adjustably secured to thepresser bar of the sewing machine to which shank member the presser footis pivoted, and to provide the latter with a recess adjacent the edgethereof to receive the needle. If desired, a recess may be provided ateach edge of the pivoted presser foot so that stitching operations canbe performed adjacent either edge of the same, and the presser foot mayalso, if desired, be provided with the usual intermediate slot oropening for the needle so that it may be used for ordinary sewing aswell as for the special types of sewing referred to above.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedpresser foot attachment for sewing machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedpresser foot attachment for sewing machines wherein a shank member isadapted to be secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine and apresser foot is pivoted to the lower end of this shank member, thepresser foot being provided with a recess on one or ice each lateraledge thereof to receive the sewing machine needle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a presser footattachment of the character described wherein the shank member whichpivotally supports the presser foot is secured to the presser bar of asewing machine for adjustment laterally of the plane of stitching, thepresser foot being provided with a lateral recess at one or at each sidethereof and also provided with an intermediate or central slot oropening to receive the needle so that it may be used for ordinarystitching as well as special types of stitching.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a presser foot attachment embodying myinvention; 1

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof:

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the pivot of the presser foot on line6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a View of a presser foot of modified form.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown inthe drawings a presser foot comprising a supporting or frame member 10provided at one end thereof with the usual adaptor 11 adapted to besecured to the presser bar of a sewing machine in the usual manner. Thebody portion 10 of this frame is of substantially U- shaped form invertical cross section, it being provided with flanges 12 and 13 alongits upper and lower edges.

These two flanges provide a guideway within which is slidably received acarrying arm or bar 14 upon which the presser foot is carried as will behereinafter explained. The carrier bar 14 is provided with an elongatedslot 15 through which extends a screw 17 adapted to be threadedlyreceived in the frame member 10. The screw is provided with an enlargedbody portion 18 and a knob 19 by which it may be screwed firmly intoplace so as to clamp the bar 14 in any slidably adjusted position withinthe frame 10 as permitted by the length of the slot 15. It will beunderstood that the bar 14 will be clamped between the enlargement 18and the bight portion of the frame member 10. This permits lateraadjustment of the presser foot with respect to the line of stitching.

Secured to the carrier bar 14 or (as shown) formed integrally therewith,is a shank member 20 which is down wardly and forwardly inclined andwhich is provided with a substantially horizontally disposed bifurcatedforward end 21 so that an open ended slot is provided between thebifurcations of this member.

The presser foot, as illustrated, consists of a substantially flat bodyportion 22 having upturned forward ends 23 disposed one upon each sideof a central slot 24 having the needle-receiving opening 25 adjacent itsrear end. The foot member is also provided with needle-receivingrecesses 26 and 27 adjacent its lateral edges so that when theserecesses are employed, the needle may effect a line of stitching closeto the edge of the presser foot and close to any portion of the materialwhich the edge of the presser foot abuts.

It is desirable that the presser foot be pivotally carried by the shankor supporting member 20, and to this end it is provided with a centrallydisposed upstanding lug 28 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) which lug is adapted to'be received between the bifurcations 21 of the shank, as shown in thedrawings. A pivot pin 29 is then passed through the members 21 and themember 28 so as to hinge or pivot the presser foot to the shank forrocking movement about the pivot pin 29 which is obviously about an axistransverse to the line of sewing.

In Fig. 7 of the drawing, I have shown a slightly modified form ofpresser foot wherein the body portion 22 is provided with an upturnedend portion 23*. In this case the upturned end portion is not slotted orbifurcated but laterally disposed needle-receiving openings 26 and 27are provided. This presser foot is, of course, adapted to be used onlywhen it is desired to sew along the edge thereof and is not adapted tostraddle the line of stitching as is the presser foot shown in Figs. 1to 5 of the drawing.

As shown in Fig. 7, the modified form of presser foot is also providedwith an upstanding lug 28 which may be pivoted to the portions 21 of theshank 20 as previously explained in connection with the modification ofthe in; vention shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that; it is not to be limited to all ofthe details shown, but is capable of modification and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame member having means bywhich it may be fixedly secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine,a carrier bar, means for securing said carrier bar slidably andadjustably to said frame member, a shank member secured to the carrierbar and extending downwardly therefrom, said shank member having asubstantially horizontally and forwardly extending portion at its lowerend, and a presser foot pivotally secured to said forwardly extendingportion for rocking movement with respect thereto, and said presser foothaving a recess formed in each lateral edge thereof and openingoutwardly through said edge to receive the sewing machine needle.

2. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame member having means bywhich it may be fixedly secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine,a carrier bar, said frame member being provided with a guideway toslidably receive said carrier bar, means to secure said carrier bar tothe frame member for sliding adjustment with respect thereto, a shankmember secured to said carrier bar and extending downwardly therefrom,said shank member having a substantially horizontally and forwardlyextending portion at its lower end, and a presser foot pivotallysecured, to said forwardly extending portion for rocking movement withrespect thereto, and said presser foot having a recess formed in eachlateral edge thereof and opening outwardly through said edge to receivethe sewing machine needle.

3. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame member having means bywhich it may be fixedly secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine,a carrier bar, said frame member being provided with a guideway toslidably receive said carrier bar, means for securing said carrier barto the frame member in slidably adjusted positions, said last-namedmeans comprising an elongated slot in said carrier bar, and a fasteningelement passing through said slot and secured to said member, a shankmember secured to said carrier bar and extending downwardly therefrom,said shank member having a substantially horizontally and forwardlyextending portion at its lower end, and a presser foot pivotally securedto said forwardly extending portion for rocking movement with respectthereto, and said presser foot having a recess formed in eachlateraledge thereof and opening outwardly through said edge to receivethe sewing machine needle.

4. A sewing machine attachment comprising aframe member having a bodyportion with flanges along its upper and lower edges to provide aguideway, means adjacent one end of said member by which it may befixedly secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine, a shank memberhaving a carrier bar member at its upper end from which the shank memberdepends, said bar being slidably received in said guideway, a presserfoot pivoted to the lower end of the shank member having aneedlereceiving recess opening through each side edge thereof, and meansfor securing said carrier bar member to said frame member in adjustedpositions comprising an elongated slot in one of said members, and afastening element passing through said slot and secured to the othermember.

5. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame member having a bodyportion with flanges along its upper and lower edges to provide aguideway, means adjacent one end of said member by which it may befixedly secured to the presser bar of a sewing machine, a shank memberhaving a carrier bar member at its upper end from which the shank memberdepends, said bar being slidably received in said guideway, a presserfoot pivoted to the lower end of the shank member having aneedlereceiving recess opening through each side edge thereof, and meansfor securing said carrier bar member to said frame member in adjustedpositions comprising an elongated slot in the carrier bar, and a screwthreaded into said frame member and extending through said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,207,619 Penny Dec. 5, 1916 1,300,184 Mittleberg Apr. 8, 1919 2,161,141DeVoe June 6, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,917 Great Britain Apr. 20, 1915

